Registration of social work in Australia
Registration of social work in Australia
The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is calling for national statutory registration of social workers. Statutory registration is instrumental to ensure all 44,000 social workers across Australia are practising to safe, ethical and high professional standards.
We need the national registration of the social work profession for:
- Public safety A public register of practitioners and protection of the title ‘Social Worker’ ensures that only those with the requisite education and training who practise safely and ethically can work as a social worker. The public is protected from misconduct and negative outcomes from poor standards of practise.
- Professional quality All social workers are regulated against consistent, high-quality, national professional standards. Social workers will be required to maintain a program of supervision, continuing professional development (CPD) and adhere to recency of practise requirements.
- Professional accountability Registration includes statutory powers to investigate professional misconduct and mechanisms to place conditions on practise or to ban a social worker from practising.
- Workforce mobility National registration makes it easier for social workers to work across different states and territories in Australia. This provides consistent protections for the public and improves access to services in South Australia and in other states and territories.
Registration of social work in Australia
The purpose of the South Australia Social Worker Registration Scheme is to improve public safety, increase accountability and raise standards of professional practice.
Social workers delivering services to South Australian service users will be required to register under the Social Workers Registration Scheme from 1 July 2025.
The registration scheme is overseen by the Social Workers Registration Board of South Australia. The Social Workers Registration Board is a regulatory body which is independent of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
The Social Workers Registration Board will consult social workers and the public on a range of policies and processes before registration commences in 2025.
Visit the Social Workers Registration Scheme website for further information.
The registration scheme is being established under the Social Worker Registration Act 2021 (SA).
For further information on AASW advocacy to pass this legislation click here.
National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS)
We advocate for social workers to be included in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) overseen by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA).
NRAS now covers these 16 professions:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, Chinese medicine practitioners, chiropractors, dental practitioners, medical radiation practitioners, medical practitioners, nurses, midwives, occupational therapists, optometrists, osteopaths, paramedics, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists and psychologists.
Social workers should be held to the same high standards as other healthcare professionals. Social workers support people who may be at-risk through situations which demand high standards of practice and ethical conduct, including in child protection, mental health and family violence systems.
The AASW is advocating to federal, state and territory governments to consider a submission to register social workers in NRAS.